By Darin A common play in 1903
Hi, this is Timothy Brown of footballarchaeology.com I’m the author of several books on gridiron history, including How Football Became Football. So a simple explanation of a linebuck is it was a hard run by a running back into the line and between the ends.
Today’s dive or off-tackle runs would qualify as linebucks. Around the turn of the century, most offenses aligned in the traditional tee formation.
That was a close or tight formation with guards, tackles and ends lined up foot to foot.
The QB was directly behind or offset from the center, while the left halfback, fullback and right halfback formed a straight line four or five yards behind the line of scrimmage. Since the early 1880s, football rules did not allow the player receiving the snap from center to run with the ball and cross the line of scrimmage.
Instead, he gave it to another player who would run with the ball.
The 1903 rule change allowed the player receiving the snap to run with it, provided he crossed the line of scrimmage 5 yards to the right or left of center. Even then, only the three backs could buck the line.
